LOOKING AHEAD: A pair of red-hot clubs is set to do battle this weekend as Chicago travels to Manitoba for a two-game set with the Moose… The Wolves bring a three-game winning streak and five-game points streak (4-0-0-1) into the MTS Centre, and Manitoba counters with a five-game winning streak of its own… Chicago collected a 2-1 shootout win at home on Nov. 30 in the teams’ only prior meeting this year… Wolves captain Jason Krog, who spent 2008-09 with Manitoba, has a point in three straight games (1-4-5) and paces Chicago with 29 assists and 37 points in 37 games overall… Spencer Machacek is on a season-high six-game scoring run (3-6-9) for the Wolves, and Darren Haydar shows a point in each of his last five outings (2-5-7)… Sergei Shirokov has a goal in three straight games (3-0-3) and a point in four straight (3-1-4) for the Moose, who are 10-4-0-0 on home ice this season… Moose rookie goaltender Eddie Lack (12-6-2, 1.98, .930) has been in net for all five games of his club’s current winning streak… Chicago continues to boast the AHL’s top power play (24.0 percent), but Manitoba ranks fourth on the penalty kill (86.6 percent)… Chicago is 10-4-1-0 against the North Division in 2010-11.

Separated by just one point in the jam-packed West Division race, Milwaukee (19-10-2-4) and Peoria (20-10-2-1) collide tonight at Carver Arena… The Rivermen are looking to halt a three-game losing skid, which has immediately followed the team’s 11-0-2-0 run… Defenseman Nathan Oystrick has racked up six points (3-3-6) in just two appearances vs. Milwaukee this season, and T.J. Hensick shows 1-4-5 in three games against the Admirals… Derek Nesbitt has netted a goal in six of his last nine games (6-0-6) for the Rivermen and boasts 14 points (9-5-14) in 18 games since joining the lineup… Peoria rookie Jake Allen (11-3-0, 1.76, .945, 4 SO) and Milwaukee third-year pro Mark Dekanich (13-4-3, 1.76, .938, 3 SO) each rank among the AHL’s top five goaltenders in both goals-against average and save percentage… Admirals rookie Blake Geoffrion has a goal in two of his last three games (2-0-2), including the game-winner in Wednesday’s 3-2 triumph over Houston… Milwaukee defenseman Jonathon Blum shows five points (1-4-5) in three games vs. Peoria on the year.

Sitting seventh in the Atlantic Division but holding games in hand on everyone above them, the Providence Bruins kick off a crucial three-game weekend in Manchester tonight before visiting Connecticut on Saturday and Bridgeport on Sunday… The Bruins are just 4-9-0-0 in their last 13 games but have taken three of four meetings from Manchester this year (3-1-0-0)… P-Bruins leading scorer Jamie Arniel (14-10-24) is on a four-game scoring streak (3-2-5) and shows a team-best six points (2-4-6) against the Monarchs thus far… Kirk MacDonald also has a point in four straight (3-1-4) for Providence after totaling one assist in his previous 10 contests… Bruins rookie Maxime Sauve has recorded 4-2-6 in eight games since returning from injury… Manchester boasts a season-high five-game winning streak and sits six points clear of the field atop the Atlantic… Andrei Loktionov has a point in all five games of the current win streak (1-5-6) and paces the Monarchs with 21 assists and 26 points overall… Former AHL All-Star defenseman Viatcheslav Voynov has a point in four straight (1-5-6) and seven of eight (1-9-10) for Manchester… The Monarchs are 14-0-0-1 when scoring first.

ALUMNI WATCH: Tim Stapleton, who has 8-8-16 in 21 AHL games this season, tallied the winning shootout goal and 2008 Calder Cup champion Ondrej Pavelec made 42 saves as Atlanta edged Boston, 3-2, on Thursday… Elsewhere, 2010 Second Team AHL All-Star Cedrick Desjardins made his NHL debut against his former organization and earned the win with 27 saves as Tampa Bay dropped Montreal, 4-1.

BY THE NUMBERS: 9 — Shorthanded goals scored by Grand Rapids this season – most in the AHL – after the Griffins totaled eight shorthanders during the entire 2009-10 campaign… Grand Rapids hosts Toronto and Peoria this weekend.

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